This Thursday me and Campbell decided not to go for WW2, but WW1!! So I came up with a Cambrai scenario, all without artillery barrages (we prefer it like that, as they seem too powerful and game decisive) and out to play came my two 28mm German platoons and the British one with the two Mark tanks starring as Marks IV. We used Muddy CoC (a Through the Mud and the blood - Chain of Command derivate) rules and Angus's and Dougies Verdun plates as scenario.
The main assault of Cambrai has happened, just on the fringe remnants of the British assault (2 tanks some LMGs and a platoon and a HMG), played by Campbell, were pouring into the second line of the Germans, while a stout (or better an arsehole of an ) German officer mounts with one platoon the counter attack. The Germans have also one artillery piece, a sniper (useless if you ask me) and a Granatenwerfer AND a second platoon coming in IF at each turn I manage to throw a 1 on a d6.
We let the British tanks be fast over this terrain, but also IF they throw a 1 (if moved) their fuel would start to dwindle and we would use the slow movement for Mark IVs.
An extra scenario rule was that each side suffered and old fashioned officer who would sent all men over the top regardless. While using the morale rules just for additional break ups, the one with the most mobile infantry units NOT in the starting quadrants and in the enemy trench would win ... let the bloodbath begin!
Campbell missed the 1st turn, and I started through with a double six, giving me another turn! My Germans pushed through the supply trench very fast. We had agreed that all were normal troopers, no veterans or elite etc... meanwhile on the other side a gun duel was enfolding, my 77 gun was wrecking the Mark IV, while the tank in turn was playing havoc with the gun crew ...
In the end the my gun just slightly won, but the crew was killed shortly after wards by the British HMG.
At the same time my infantry assault was speeding towards the enemy, as my dicing was exceptionally good! Then a rifle fight ensued. Somehow I had the better dice and was able to Rally/heal more shock points than the Tommies. I guess that gave me the edge. Campbell had just 4 Infantry teams coming in and most of them were bleeding to death in the second trench line.
Meanwhile my 2nd platoon just decided to arrive, when the main fight was nearly over ...
At that point Campbell conceded defeat as the British right flank was void of any men, and my newly arrived platoon would just have walked over.
BUT to be fair, the victory conditions, as agreed before, were against me, as my newly arrived platoon was counting against me (they were of course all still in the starting quadrants) so we came up with a draw (Germans +2 -5 vs British -3). So the whole was enjoyably futile, and we still can agree, "nothing new on the western front".
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| British LMGs nests guard the newly captured (former) second line of the Germans |
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| The Germans are massing up in the supply trench for a counter attack |
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| the whole mess right from the start |
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| The German 77 field gun in the 3rd line |
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| and a German HMG nest |
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| the rest of the "zug" awaits the order to attack |
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| the artillery barrage has just moved over ... re-inforcements were promised ... |
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| but the British are already in the second line and have those landships!!! |
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| the first Germans are over the top, cursing their heartless commander |
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| a sniper is also in the 3rd line, will he hit anything? |
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| more Tommies are pouring in, and the German 1st platoon storms to the second line |
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| then after many turns of a gruelling gun duel the first Mark IV blows off |
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| but the second strives the oncoming infantry with gunfire |
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| now Germans and Brits are shooting at each other from trenches only meters apart |
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| the second Mark IV (here my "Beutepanzer" starring as such) kills more krauts |
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| meanwhile the second platoon ... is still trapped in nowhere land ... or refuses to come |
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| but the 1st platoon is lucky and shoots the British teams under the noses of the tank crew .... |
